Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance(90)

“Easy when you know a man who rubs shoulders with every big designer,” Drake says.

Mother slides the ring back on my finger. “You need to get that insured, immediately.” She turns to Drake with a smile that would melt sugar. “What sort of 'friend' and how do you know them?”

Oh, this crap is about to get real.

“From the Army days,” Drake says. “Knox Carlisle served with me. Now he runs the biggest jewelry business in the southwest, hitched with a wife and kid. He won the lottery of Happily Ever Afters.”

“Knox,” Mom repeats, as if memorizing it. “You’ll have to put us in touch.”

Drake nods, a simple gesture that says no promises so loudly it makes me swallow a laugh.

“Goodnight,” Dad says, stopping Mom before she asks Drake another question. Dad kisses my cheek. “We’ll talk soon.”

Drake and I both say goodnight and shoot out the door.

I’m not sure which one of us wants to get away faster. He must be thinking the same thing, because when our gazes meet, we both laugh.

“Need anything from town?” he asks, backing the truck out of the parking spot.

You know what I need, I think to myself.

“No. Got everything we could want right at home.” Every part of me flushes, tingling with sweet anticipation.

We talk on the way home, but I’m not sure what about because I’m sure the road has somehow gotten longer. It’s taking us forever to get back to the ranch.

He parks the truck in the garage, and we enter through the door to the back porch.

I can’t wait any longer to touch him.

“My feet are killing me,” I say, putting one hand on his shoulder, using his rock hard leverage to tug off each sandal with my toes.

His hands go to my waist, holding me up, then slide lower to my ass. Leaving the shoes where they fall, I look at him, lifting my chin, so ready for a kiss.

“You should’ve worn your boots, darlin’.”

I want a kiss, dammit, not another smart-ass tease. “They would’ve looked real good with this dress.”

He shrugs and walks toward the kitchen. “Want anything?”

YES! I trot after him, just far enough to stick my head in. “No, it’s been a long day. I’m going up to bed.”

“Okay.” His head is in the fridge. “I’ll catch the lights on my way up later.”

My heart sinks.

This isn’t what I expected at all. Not after the hayloft.

I cross the room. “Night.”

“Night.” His head stays in the fridge, his hands rummaging through something.

I step around the corner, to where I can still see him, but he can’t see me.

He peeks over the fridge door, then shuts it, with nothing in his hands. They’re both pressed flat against the fridge surface.

He’s avoiding me again. Why?

I cross the room and climb the stairs. After what happened in the hayloft, I could’ve sworn...but wait.

If I hadn’t fallen off the hay, and if he hadn’t caught me, nothing would’ve happened. And there’d be nothing to look forward to now.

Excitement returns.

It’s my decision. He’s always said that about everything.

I hurry up the rest of the stairs. In a matter of minutes, I’m done in the bathroom, wearing nothing but my short, yellow robe and standing next to my door, listening.

My heart skips a beat when I hear his heavy footsteps on the stairs. Heat rushes through me as I hear him walk past, into the bathroom, where I’d purposefully left my bra and underwear draped over the edge of the tub.

I’m nearly panting by the time I hear him enter his room.

I tell myself to wait a few more minutes, just to keep the illusion up, but it’s killing me.

This desire, this want, this heat. This freak magnetic control Drake Larkin has over my body.

I never knew it could be like this. A desire so strong it’s all consuming.

If something doesn’t happen soon, I’m going to have to please myself. I open the door and cross the hall, quietly, still listening. Movement inside momentarily disrupts the light shining under his door, and then it goes out. My heart pounds as I lean in, listening, until I finally hear a low groan.

Using the excuse, I knock slightly. “Drake?”

No answer.

Feeling the knob, it’s unlocked, and I push the door gently open.

“Are you all right?” I whisper. Still no answer and my hand moves to the light switch. “I thought I heard you groan.”

I flick on the light switch, holding my breath. And immediately almost swallow my freaking tongue.

He’s on the bed, propped up, stark naked. And Lord is he jacked.

His cock curves up over his fierce abs, and it’s glorious. He’s this huge panther-like thing, all oscillating slabs of muscle and ink, nothing but the faintest mischief on his lips.

They’re so thin, smiling, but the real glory sits in his eyes, explosive blue and locked on me.

Holy hell.

What’s going on? I’ve never fawned over a man’s dick before. Not that I’ve seen many. Before our tumble up in the barn, I’d never so much as touched a man there, never realized how huge and hard and alive it could be.

“Your ears told you right, darlin’,” he says in a rough whisper. “That groan was me.”